


She’s Just Ji Hyo

by fhclause



Category: Running Man RPF
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn, post Running Man, spartace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-18 13:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9387197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fhclause/pseuds/fhclause
Summary: But, she was just Ji Hyo. His friend. His good friend. A part of his ‘family’. She wasn’t interested in him that way nor does he. And he definitely was NOT in love with her! ...Right?Post Running Man Universe





	1. Chapter 1

**She’s Just Ji Hyo**

_Running Man_ © _SBS_

 _She’s Just Ji Hyo_ © _fhclause_

 

 

_“I might be getting ahead of myself, but it’d be best if Ji Hyo and Jong Kook get married.”_

Jong Kook had snorted in disbelief, almost horrified, when Jae Suk suddenly suggested that. He had quickly protested, saying she was just a family. Ji Hyo had agreed with him too—although more casually than he would have liked—and they had stopped discussing about it as if neither him nor Ji Hyo were there.

Jong Kook shook his head. Truthfully, he was a bit annoyed at that time, when the fortune teller proclaimed that he and Ji Hyo were a good match. _Not_ that he didn’t like Ji Hyo. Anyone with a pair of functional eyes could see that Ji Hyo was a beautiful woman. If you knew her enough, you would also know she was a kind woman. If you knew her well though, you could be lucky enough for her to _not_ show how cunning she could be—a side of her that always awestruck him by every time she showed it, especially in Running Man, and _especially_ when he was not her victim.

So no; it wasn’t Ji Hyo he had a problem with—he merely saw her as a friend though, no matter what their friends said—it was just the timing of it. The scandal about the two of them was widely known, locally and internationally; about how they were fired so suddenly and without notice. Later, the scandal had became so big and so out of control that in the end, the upper ups decided to cancel Running Man infinitely.

But it wasn’t the fate of the entire Running Man that had made him miffed when the fortune teller played the matchmaker. It was how he specifically told him—and Ji Hyo for that matter—how they make an excellent couple. Wasn’t it the two of them that were first caught in the scandal? What was this? Some kind of compensation for trying to get rid of them in the first place? Like, ‘ _Hey. Sorry for last time. Maybe you two can hook up and be happy together?_ ’ kind of situation?

He had a feeling that the PDs had something to do with it. They knew his single status was a dilemma to him, and Ji Hyo _was_ the only female member in Running Man—perhaps the closest one in his circle of friends—so maybe they thought it was a good idea to get them together. Or maybe they were trying to create a new love line before the show ended, now that Gary was gone—he wasn’t sure which—but Jong Kook was suspicious.

 _Does it matter now, though?_ he thought, as he gazed around at the other Running Man members hugging and crying, all at once. It was their final episode that day. The slate had been snapped and the camera off ten minutes ago, and yet here they were, all nine of them, with Gary, Joong Ki and Lizzy in the mall where the first episode of Running Man was aired.

He would have joined their endless hugging-spree if he was that kind of a man.  But Jong Kook has always been reluctant to show his emotional side either in public or on camera. Not that he didn’t love them, he did, but he just wasn’t that kind of a man.

Also because he didn’t want Kwang Soo to stain his shirt with his snot.

Why did he suddenly think about that specific episode anyway? He looked around again and realized it was because he had saw Ji Hyo not too far from where he was standing. She was standing away from the rowdy group of criers, alone just like he was, but her eyes were puffy and red with tear marks on her cheeks. It still didn’t explain why specifically that fortune teller episode was on his mind and not other episodes where they paired up, but he dismissed it as he walked towards her. He knew Ji Hyo was strong, but if she was crying, _alone_ , in the corner like that, meant she really was affected by what had happened. What _would_ happen.

“Ji Hyo-yah.”

“Oh, oppa.” Ji Hyo wiped another stray tear on her cheek. “Sorry. I know I shouldn’t be crying...”

He smiled ruefully. That’s Ji Hyo alright. Always trying not to make others worry even when the situation called for it. “Don’t worry about it, Ji Hyo-yah. They are all crying too.”

“You’re not,” she observed.

This time he smirked. “I _am_ the Sparta. Won’t do my image any good if I cry.” She laughed a bit, but it was still shaky with tears. “Hey, don’t cry too much. You’re going to make Kwang Soo cry harder. God knows he’s going to spam your phone with his sad face if he does.”

She laughed harder.

“And you’re going to look too girly with all those tears.”

“Oppa! I _am_ a girl!”

She hit his arm and he winced in pain—her fist always pack a punch after all, no pun intended—but it didn’t matter. As painful as it was, he knew it wasn’t done with malice; a jostle between friends. And he _was_ a big guy; she knew he could take it.

Most importantly though, she had stopped crying. Her outrage was far more familiar than her tears. “Are you okay now, Ji Hyo-yah?”

She nodded, almost shyly. “Thank you, oppa.”

He smiled and patted her head. Then, he saw her stared at him—like a deer in the headlights—until she suddenly launched herself at him, hugging him tightly. “H-hey! Ji Hyo-yah!”

Her voice was muffled by the lack of space between her face and his shirt, but he heard it all the same. “I’ll miss you, oppa.”

He was flustered and definitely embarrassed, but he dampened it down. Sure, they had been this close before, but those were for games and this was—whatever this was. The most ‘hug’ he ever had with her was a shoulder-hug, like the ones you did with your long-time buddies.

But this... This was different. He didn’t know what or why; it just was.

The fortune teller episode suddenly filled his mind again. The fortune teller might say they were great with each other, but compatibility wasn’t the only thing Jong Kook searched for when it comes to marriage.

Love. Love was the most important factor.

But what he felt for Ji Hyo wasn’t love. He knew, because it wasn’t love that made him tightened their embrace, but a sense of deep fondness. It wasn’t amorous in any way—didn’t make him wanting to kiss her or anything. It just made him felt _right_ , that he was _Jong Kook._ It didn’t make sense at all but it made sense all the same. It felt comfortable and safe. Made _him_ feel safe—an absurd notion for someone as strong as he.

He knew this wasn’t love. It wasn’t burning him, it didn’t make him weak in the knee, no butterfly flying in his stomach and his heart wasn’t beating a hundred miles per hour. He was just... Jong Kook, because she was just Ji Hyo.

A feeling almost like melancholy washed over him and he pulled her tighter. “I’ll miss you too, Ji Hyo-yah. But it’s not like we’ll never going to see each other again. We can go for drinks tonight or tomorrow or even next Monday.”

Her face peeked out from his chest. “I know. But seeing each other for drinks and for Running Man are different, oppa.”

He patted her head again. “I get it, I get it.”

“Hey, you two lovebirds!” Jae Suk shouted as they broke apart. Jong Kook rolled his eyes. Jae Suk had been calling them that every time he saw both of them together. Ever since he had suggested they should get married, Jae Suk had been relentless. Oh, he never mentioned it other than that one time on camera, but off camera—he was as subtle as a honking elephant. When Jae Suk had an idea in his head, it was hard to get rid off. “Come here so we can all take selfies!”

So they both went back to the group, took more than enough pictures to fill more than half of their phone’s memory. After one last group hug, promises to have drinks and meet ups eagerly exchanged and a reluctant goodbyes from the members and the staff, they departed an hour later.

Jong Kook wasn’t worried. Like he said, they would meet each other again—outside or through work, it didn’t matter. What mattered was they were all friends and they all love each other enough to maintain their friendship, no matter what it took.

That included what he felt about Ji Hyo. No matter what the fortune teller said about them, no matter what Jae Suk did to get them together, Ji Hyo was, first and foremost, his friend. A good friend. Even if they could be more than what they were now, Jong Kook didn’t think it was worth it. He might gain a girlfriend and a potential wife, but he would lose a friend if anything went wrong. And that would be awful.

Whatever they could be, it didn’t matter.

She was just Ji Hyo anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

**She’s Just Ji Hyo**

_Running Man_ © _SBS_

_She’s Just Ji Hyo_ © _fhclause_

 

What was the chance of Jong Kook seeing all the Running Man members again the day after they broke up?

None.

Some of the members like Haha or Jae Suk, maybe. But not all of them in the span of twenty-four hours.

The first people he met were Kwang Soo and Joong Ki, which weren’t that surprising, since the three of them decided to have a sleepover at Kwang Soo’s apartment. It was still quite early in the morning when he woke up. Joong Ki was in a rare state of ungraceful position, sprawled on the sofa with his mouth hanging open. Kwang Soo wasn’t too far away, half of his upper body perched uncomfortably on the table with drool mark on his cheek. He left them as they were, locking the door behind him before he called his manager.

Then, it started. He met HaHa—who hated exercising—at his usual gym. He bumped into Suk Jin and his family at the cafe Jong Kook always frequent. He saw and talked with Gary on his way to the studio. He didn’t actually _saw_ Lizzy, but the radio did play one of her songs when she was still active.

It was all very strange. If he didn’t know any better, he might have thought this was some kind of a prank or a hidden camera thing. He called Gap Jin to make sure he didn’t have anything on schedule for a variety show that he might have forgotten about. He didn’t of course, just as Jong Kook thought.

After one last reassurance from his manager, Jong Kook hung up, looking left and right suspiciously, body tensed defensively, as if waiting for something to pop out. He was currently at JTBC’s lobby, as he had finished an interview as a guest for one of its programmes. As he was about to reach the revolving door, a hand suddenly clamped his shoulder and instinctively, he grabbed it and twisted it around.

“Yah! Yah! Kim Jing Kook!”

He let the attacking hand go and saw a familiar face. “Jae Suk hyung! What are you doing!?”

“I’m the one who should ask you that!” Jae Suk scowled at him as he rubbed his smarting wrist. “What do you think I was about to do? Rip your nametag?”

Jong Kook blinked repeatedly, like he wasn’t sure if Jae Suk was joking or not. Then he saw the older man was still holding his wrist. “I’m sorry, hyung. You surprised me. I just...reacted.”

Jae Suk raised an eyebrow. “You _do_ know Running Man is over, right?”

“I know. It’s just...” Jong Kook rubbed the back of his neck. “Today has been really weird. I’m really sorry, hyung. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Jae Suk stared at his dongsaeng. It must have been a tough day for Jong Kook if he apologized so sincerely like that, especially to him. “Did something bad happened?”

“No, no. Don’t worry about it. It’s just something silly.”

Jae Suk shrugged before he smirked cunningly. “If you’re that sorry, why don’t buy us lunch, eh?”

Jong Kook rolled his eyes. Of course the Grasshopper would use the Sparta when opportunity arise, no matter what it was. But Jong Kook wasn’t annoyed. He still felt guilty, and this wasn’t Running Man where he could brush Jae Suk off. Not that he wanted to. Talking to Jae Suk might clear his head up.

Or riled him up. Which was as good as any.

As Jong Kook followed him to a secluded area of JTBC’s cafe, he realized that Jae Suk had said ‘us’. He wondered who the other person was until a niggling sensation tickled his gut. Jong Kook narrowed his eyes. He had met almost all Running Man members, including Jae Suk. So, if his weird day persisted, then that meant—

“Oh, Jong Kook oppa. You’re here too?”

Jong Kook blinked. The woman that greeted him was...beautiful. _Radiant_. The ray of sun reflected her loose hair, making the top of her head look like the shiniest bronze he had ever seen while the rest, a waterfall of heavy onyx. His eyes followed a lock of her hair, down to her exposed shoulder blades and her protruding collar blades and finally, up to her lips, pronounced with soft pink lipstick. And her _face_ —

Her face...

Jong Kook blinked again. His consciousness felt like it was floating out of his body as his eyes tried to force his brain to understand what— _who_ —was in front of him. But the more he looked at her, the more he didn’t understand because she was—

“Ji Hyo?” he chocked.

“Ya, Kim Jong Kook.” Jae Suk nudged his shoulder, startling him. “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“No, I ...”

Ji Hyo tilted her head. “Are you okay, oppa?”

“What? Oh! Uh...yeah. I’m okay. It’s just that you’re, uh...” he cleared his throat. “You look different today.”

Ji Hyo looked down confusedly at herself and then chuckled. “Ah. I just finished my shooting for Beauty View. I’m too lazy to remove my makeup.”

Jae Suk nodded. “I bumped into her at the lobby too. Told her to wait for me at the cafe while I discussed some things with my manager. Then, I saw you.”

“I see.” Jong Kook directed Ji Hyo a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Ji Hyo-ya. I just didn’t expect to see you here. And you look so different...”

“You already said that, oppa.” Ji Hyo grinned teasingly. “And don’t you mean ‘pretty’, not ‘different’?”

Jong Kook laughed. “But you’re always pretty, Ji Hyo-ya.”

Ji Hyo chuckled shyly before she instantly poker up, giving him a thumbs-up and nodded solemnly. “Very smooth, Kim Jong Kook.”

“Ya! Don’t let him off that easily, Ji Hyo-ya!” Jae Suk scolded. “He promised to treat us today. So order up.”

“Hey, I never said that!”

“Don’t you pretend now!”

“I never specifically said it. I just followed you here! Hey, you!” he scolded the waiter that came at Ji Hyo’s call. “Don’t take her order!”

The waiter widened his eyes, scribbled quickly and scrambled away. Ji Hyo grinned. “Oppa, don’t be angry. Just pretend it’s a practice. It’s good for you.”

“Practice? Practice for what?”

“For the sake of your future girlfriend and thus, your relationship status,” Ji Hyo said factually.

Jong Kook heard Jae Suk snorted with laughter, but he was too bewildered to be outraged. “Huh?”

“Don’t you remember your special episode, oppa? So Young asked if you liked to eat unhealthy food, and you _lied_ , oppa. While that’s very good and all, imagine if you have a girlfriend for _real_ and she asked you to eat unhealthy food— _fried_ food—with her? You have to build a tolerance for them or you’ll have trouble in the future.”

Jae Suk rubbed his hands together gleefully, always happy to see Jong Kook suffer. “That’s a brilliant idea, Ji Hyo-ya!”

Jong Kook sent a death glare to Jae Suk and he immediately clamped up. He glared at Ji Hyo too but her grinning face told him she was not the least bit scared. Ji Hyo never was. “You’re not serious.”

“Oh, but I am, oppa. Here’s my proposal: Eat or drink at least one unhealthy food or drinks for one year.”

“You do realize I don’t need to listen to this.”

“And you _do_ realize that I’m right. Come on, oppa. You’re the _Sparta_. You can always burn all the fat you gain in one measly fried chicken by exercising if you’re that scared.”

Jong Kook narrowed his eyes. Deep down, he knew Ji Hyo was right. He knew a few women who trained at the same gym as him who would—at a certain period of the month—consume something unhealthy like it was nobody’s business. Be it chocolate, snacks, cans of cola. Anything. Of course, they would exercise like crazy after that—it just baffled him on why they would do something so...counterproductive.

Maybe he just didn’t understand women enough.

Maybe Ji Hyo _was_ right.

Jong Kook sighed. “Three months.”

Ji Hyo waggled a finger. "Eight."

"Five."

"Six."

"Deal."

“Great!” And just on cue, the waiter served their dishes. He grimaced at that one plate full of fried chickens. “Don’t worry, oppa. Just one.”

He picked the tiniest piece, glared at grinning Jae Suk and Ji Hyo and said, “Challenge accepted.”


End file.
